The greatest Dream Theater concert on Blu-ray

Dream Theater 'Live at Budokan' is one of a handful of concert DVDs that continues to wow me completely. On 5 October, 2004 at the peak of their abilities, Dream Theater played at the Budokan, Japan. Although eight years ago and since then they have had other concert DVDs like the majestic 'Score', this is their landmark concert High Definition DVD. Now that it is available with improved sound and visuals on Blu-ray, I thought it high time to give coverage to these giants of progressive rock metal.

I love watching live music and have been fortunate enough to see Dream Theater play in Brisbane, Australia and Auckland, New Zealand. This Blu-ray is possibly as good as it gets other than being at their concerts. Indeed some may say it's better. At least in the comfort of your home you can manage the volume to what suits you plus have close-up views that only binoculars could achieve. (I make this comment as the Auckland concert was excessively loud and at times there was possible distortion.)

Back to this Blu-ray which is most beautifully crafted and meets all my requirements for a perfect concert. i.e. great sound, crystal clear visuals, a massive selection from their discography plus additional long instrumental breaks with the camera following the person playing the solo. (It always frustrates me when the drummer plays a brilliant fill and the camera man zooms on the vocalist who is not even singing. This fortunately doesn't happen on this recording because Mike Portnoy, the drummer, and John Petrucci, the guitarist produce it.) Clearly Dream Theater have projected their creative and hard-working ethic to the production values of this Blu-ray. This recording has been carefully thought through, even to the placing of the cameras for excellent closeups for each member. The Blu-ray is full of positive surprises and features; the range of song material to the ability to show the lyrics on screen.

The DVD was previously unsurpassed in sound and video quality. The Blu-ray version is crisper - yes, the colors far more vivid and richer and what I particularly noticed was the shine and sparkle on items like the Sabian cymbals. You notice small details like the glint on wedding rings, the reflection off Petrucci's guitar. It's these details that take an already brilliant high definition DVD and makes the viewing experience even more impact full. I was taken aback as to how beautiful the primary color lighting looks on Blu-ray. This is an amazing quality recording. 

Photos of my TV screen showing the Blu-ray. This gives some indication of the clarity and colour in spite of the obvious loss of photographing a TV screen.

Yet I did not repurchase this for a visual improvement as I had thought my existing DVD copy was great. I bought this for the DTS HD Master Audio and the sound improvement is significant. Referring to 'As I am' the opening track of the concert you immediately notice a  significant improvement in the bass levels. The opening bass note of the first bar is strong and resounds with a power not experienced on the 5.1 sound. 

Overall there is a greater richness on the Blu-ray as you hear the growl and warmth of Myung's bass  together with warmth of Portnoy's toms. There seems far greater dynamic range with the bottom end of both the bass guitar and the bass pedal far more forceful. My sub-woofer gets a real workout yet the high range notes of the keyboard still ring out. There is greater separation with no difficulty to hear all four instruments and vocals. The many rapid unison guitar and piano lines over Myung's bass is wondrous. In Petrucci's solos you can hear the subtleties of tapping plus string wrenches. If anything the sound detail also shows their flaws so LaBrie sometimes doesn't quite hit the note, but after a marathon two hour fourty-five minute concert, I am not surprised.

For those who have woken up a decade after he was already one of the world's greatest prog-rock drummers, this concert is a Mike Portnoy showcase. (Mike Portnoy is sadly no longer with DT but that is an article in itself.)  Disc two has all the extras including the Portnoy solo and the Instrumedley - which allows you to focus just on Mike for a monstrous drumming display. That doesn't mean there is no solo drumming in the concert. Far from it! You're in for a surprise as the keyboard drum battle during 'Beyond this life' is like an added drum solo. I found this the highlight of the opening barrage of 3 songs - Rudess and Portnoy seem to have such fun and Portnoy gets to inventively show off what every little cowbell, percussion and timbale sounds like on his enormous double set of drums. He really shows how musical he is as he copies Rudess's keyboard lines on the kit.(Of course a few blizzards of bass drum bliss are effortlessly displayed throughout!)

A warning to classic rock readers. If you are averse to metal, this concert may be an acquired taste. The first twenty minutes of this concert are some of the heaviest moments of synchronised Dream Theater mayhem; the end of 'This Dying Soul' shows the most frighteningly fast unison lines of Petrucci and Rudess. Mesmerising! Portnoy is so solid as he segues from one time signature into the pounding grundge time midway through 'This Dying Soul' - makes you want to bounce with LaBrie as well. As LaBrie states 'We have one hell of a show coming at you, this evening'. At this stage of the concert you're only two songs in and sixteen still to come. As on any DT creation you'll see why Petrucci is arguably the most technically gifted rock guitarist in the world today. Combined with Myung, Rudess and their powerful vocalist, LaBrie, this is the benchmark of prog metal virtuosity. If you like intense, inventive heavy rock music that requires repeated listening, this is a wonderful value Blu-ray - brilliant!

Flying Colors - vibrant, melodic rock with a progressive twist

That familiar Amazon parcel has arrived! What will "Flying colors" sound like...will it be worth it? Many love it, some are sceptical, some slate it. Will there be sufficient guitaring from Steve Morse and will Mike just be a wallflower?


I hurridly rip open the packaging, grap the CD from the digipak, place into the player and sit back. Seventy minutes later my initial surprising journey is over and I am smiling. This is good. Really good. Wonderful vibrant, melodic rock with a progressive twist from my favourite musicians - Mike Portnoy, master drummer, music organiser with his long-time keyboardist buddy, Neal Morse, composer extraordinaire, singer and instrumentalist who are joined by the legendary Steve Morse, guitarist from Deep Purple with his long-time bassist buddy, Dave LaRue. And then top notch vocalist, Casey McPherson with his contemporary nuances and appealing falsetto leads the way on this vocal album.

                                        Flying Colors site  
             The amazing iGuitar Magazine contains a great Morse video interview. 


It's five days later and all I have listened to is "Flying Colors". This album is catchy with very strong melodic hooks on every song. The emphasis is on tight song structure and strong vocals with harmonising in every chorus - but hey I hear you asking what happened to the virtuoso musicians? No worries - they're all playing, contributing and adding their craft with many structured instrumental interludes in which to shine. 


What is encouraging is how carefully crafted this album is - this is not some supergroup sitting down and playing a few covers and jamming their way through. Everything from the graphics to the impeccable production by Peter Collins (Rush, Alice Cooper,Bon Jovi) , thoughtful song order and actual compositions show that this is no fly-by-night project. I know from their site that this took an initial 9 days, some work while they went their separate ways and then another 4 days together. Quite amazing that all up in less than a month together as musicians this album was produced. 


The sounds and textures are colourful and varied in the genre of slow and medium rock, with two hard rock tracks bordering on metal that allow Mike to double pedal a tornado.The album ends with a mighty 11 minute progressive rock epic, "Infinite Fire". This ending showcases the depth of experience and musicality this group has and includes greater use of Neal's wonderful keyboard organ sounds in unison with some of Steve's most blistering guitar work. The use of odd-time signatures, slower emotional sections building to the strongest vocal chorus on the album finally breaks into the multi-layered vocals of "Seasons and times". This gives me goosebumps each time I listen.  


For Steve Morse and Dave LaRue fans take note - there is more Steve soloing on this album than what he played on two Kansas albums or on the last Deep Purple album, 'Rapture of the deep'. Every song has a beautifully crafted Morse solo that to my ears had more variety and thoughtfulness than what I have heard from Steve in decades. I have never heard Morse sound so like Brian May as what he does on "Love is what I'm waiting for". Of course Dave and Steve know each other's playing like musical twins so their harmonic convergence and dissonance and timing is impeccable. Great examples where Dave struts his funky bass is on "Forever in a daze" and the thunderous riff on "All falls down". 


"Everything changes" is an excellent example of the group joining and melting styles. The song starts like a track off Steve Morse's "High tension wires", the vocals section are all McPherson's influence and then the bridge where Neal Morse sings is clearly his compositional style and Mike brings some monster drum fills and it ends with more of Steve's influence again. The way I have described this may sound like a patch work which is then a reflection of my ordinary writing skills as this is beautiful track. I write that this is beautiful yet this is one of the lesser tracks on the album. The opening "Blue Ocean" and "Kayla" are standouts plus the aggressive "Shoulda coulda woulda" with its concluding drum fest and "Infinite fire" best encapsulate this group.


I am encouraged to hear that "Flying colors" are touring Europe in September. Could a DVD release be possible that would include more material and a cover or two? The prospect is exciting.


I am confused when I read some Amazon reviews. Perhaps because this is not cutting-edge rock or outright progressive rock, many seem very critical. Did some expect a new Dream Theater or a more contemporay style like Coldplay? I am unsure and when reading their criticism begin to doubt my enthusiasm for this. But then I listen again and get caught up in the melody, drift into another place and that's what music is about. 


So lovers of vintage, well crafted melodic rock - including Queen, Beatles and Yes fans, fans of Steve Morse, Mike Portnoy's "Yellow Matter custard" , Transatlantic, Kansas, Styx, Kerry Livgren, Neal Morse's solo work, fans of Casey McPherson, give this a try - you may really be pleasantly surprised!

Soaring, joyful progressive rock

Yes, this is easily the most uplifting, joyful prog rock concert I have had the privilege to watch on DVD. Here are a group of mature, brilliant musicians enjoying what they do in the intimate venue of Shepherd's Bush Empire, London. And the packed crowd laps up every moment that lasts for over three hours. This is no cold, clinical performance but rather a warm evening of smiles of musos and interaction of the crowd. 

Neal Morse sings with his usual passion with nods and shouts of encouragement as Mike Portnoy flays away with a flurry of cross sticking. Watching the interaction between Transatlantic is worth the price of DVD alone. Pete Trewavas on fat bass (plus harmony vocals), stands next to the drums, and not only feels the pulse of the bass drum, but throughout the show turns to face Portnoy during intricate passages. Listen to Trewavas's full, rich bass tone particularly on "All of Above". Guest, David Gildenlow, sings, fills in on keyboards, jumps and power chords his way adding to the enthusiasm, while Roine Stolt, seems serene on the most intricate guitar riff. The great camera work catches all these interesting glances, action and band spontaneity. (No artistic flourishes, intrusive fades or flash camera work - but rather good, clear, crisp footage.) 


The concerts begins with the 78 minute opus 'The Whirlwind". From soaring melodic guitar lines to full throttle band with organ, keyboards, overdriven guitar and harmony vocals, this contains both light more acoustic sections to dark almost prog metal interludes. Overall this is accessible music with everything from styles of Yes, Kansas to Grateful Dead jamming and Crosby, Stills and Young harmonising by everyone in the band. 


Although everyone contributes to the composition, Morse seems to have had the biggest influence and certainly the lyrics are his. From the excellent 'interview' and 'Behind the scenes' extras on the second disc, Morse explains how it was Portnoy who saw all the separate compositions and gave musical direction for them to be moulded into one piece. Likewise Portnoy is enthusiastic about the emotion and general message of the Whirlwind and says he doesn't think they are explicit 'Christian' lyrics in his answer to the reporter. They may not be explicit yet they are a resounding declaration that points to seeking the giver of life. As a taster read the following key sentences from the lengthy 12 part Whirlwind lyrics.


"And I know that we are more than dust and ashes
And one day we will know what we have known"


"There's a reason you're here, this is not by chance
When the giver of life is asking you to DANCE!"


We're on trip in a foreign land
Reach for home, where the kingdom stands
There is the key he has given you, search it out
All who seek will find the truth!


Certainly this amalgam of soaring prog rock is a stirring and appropriate vehicle for these words. Ironically Neal Morse and material like this is not known in the Christian market. Irrespective of your spiritual perspective, this DVD is primarily a body of great music. If you already listen to the likes of Dream Theater, Spocks Beard, Pink Floyd and Kansas - you'll love this. But this is as accessible to those who don't normally listen to prog rock. If you like light rock or watching musicians play, this will be a fascinating experience that will grow on you and introduce you to a new genre.


It is worth mentioning that if you are not familiar with the guitaring of Roine Stolt, then you are in for a treat (his singing is also beautifully distinctive). The melodic lead lines are more in keeping with a David Gilmour, Kerry Livgren or Brian May approach than of the Satriani or Petrucci intensity. Although this is no ways as heavy as a Dream Theater concert, this is still a Portnoy extravaganza as he shouts and conducts the crowd while completing the drum fill with his right hand (you won't be disappointed)! This concert happily seems to go on forever, which for lovers of this music is a good thing. This is simply Epic, with a capital 'E'. 


PS: I really like the transparent hard plastic packaging of the DVD case. Definitely watch the behind the scenes of the tour as there are great excerpts from most of their concerts including many surprises. Look out for what they do and sing on Mike Portnoy's birthday. I'll try not give away too many surprises but from surfing to singing 'Smoke on the water' these guys were having fun!

A musical triumph - a rock opera Christian testimony

Testimony is a complex, powerful rock opera of violin, viola, saxophone and pedal steel guitar, intermingled with fiery Fender guitar rock, Latin-tinged acoustic guitar, classical flute, tight vocal harmonies over no-holds bar drumming. I try in words to capture just the first 45 minutes of Neal Morse's Testimony live concert. This is heartfelt, passionate rock - with every genre from progressive to pop intermingled in this amazing 2003 live performance - the testimony of Morse's journey into the light. 

It has been 5 years since I bought this DVD. This is a concert to behold and each time I go back and listen my spirit is lifted - there is something deeply attractive about this rock opera - it's a combination of the powerful music motifs and the emotionally rendered personal message of spiritual revelation sung by the multi-talented, composer, singer, keyboardist guitarist - Neal Morse. 

Actual running time is 255 minutes of a riveting performance of eight musicians. Most of them, other than Morse and Portnoy, I had never heard before - but that just indicates how many multi-talented unknown professional musicians are out there. Eric Brenton was particularly impressive and takes a pivotal role as lead guitarist, violinist, flautist, pedal steel guitarist and then throw in some mandolin as well! 

All the musicians seem engrossed with the music and the fun element is palpable - these guys enjoyed themselves. It is infectious watching, so much so that we have a break out of dancing during the hoe-down with an incredible Morse acoustic chicken-picking guitar battle with Breton on violin. Yes, I forgot, in "Sing it high" there is even a blue-grass section like a Dixie Dregs workout except Morse also intertwines country tight vocal harmonies as well. Yes, the Christian message is strong, and Neal's life story comes across very clearly with his unaffected, annunciated vocal style that is influenced more by the Beatles, Beach Boy approach than anything from this century. For some the lyrics will attract and I realise from reading reviews on Amazon that also repels some. An observation is that Mike Portnoy (Dream Theater), the monster drummer that sets the stage alight and drives much of the musical excitement in this concert, is obviously attracted enough to the music to play with his usual enthusiasm and intensity - irrespective of the message.

I think all Christians who have a bent towards contemporary music will find this DVD strongly resonates with them. It's a powerful musical message that tells all our stories in a way - even if this is Neal's personal story. You are missing out if you haven't heard Neal Morse's work. Clearly he has taken over the mantle of Kerry Livgren in keeping the message of the eternal alive in progressive rock .

Some of this strangely reminds me of the musical `Les Miserables'(a rock version perhaps) in that there is a story over repeating musical motifs that echo through this entire concert. Indeed there are three Overtures that begin the five parts. The wonderful variety means that when the story and quieter interludes just begin to lengthen you are jolted into the next part with intense instrumental pieces - this is never impromptu jamming but tightly structured. The breaks and accapella vocal harmonies that cut through frenzied playing is spine tingling - and when they move into "The storm before the calm" with the repeat prog motif from Overture No.1 you feel like cheering yourself. It is during this central prog motif that Portnoy is finally unleashed to play some of his most memorable ensemble playing. Even Neal is visibly excited as he bends over his keyboard to allow an unobstructed view of Portnoy's tom-tom theatrics that propels this repeating prog motif to a crescendo. Wow! 

Stylistically there are echoes of Kansas, Dregs, Pink Floyd, Yes, Beatles and Beach boys! A real musical blend but with an unmistakable melodic Morse stamp. The concert begins and closes with Morse singing alone just with acoustic guitar and then finally piano - his connection with the audience direct and engaging. This is a powerful and moving concert. 

Some DVD comments - unfortunately this is only available in stereo. I'd love to have heard this in DTS! Fortunately this is still a rich, well recorded concert; drums and percussion subtleties all coming through so you can still differentiate between the multi-keyboard, strings and guitars and splash cymbal. Camera work is above average and the overhead camera on the drums is something I wish we saw more often. There are no intrusive artistic fades instead an appropriate mix of wide shots of the entire stage cutting to close ups of musicians as they play key breaks or to visually highlight aspects of the performance. 

PS: And then there is disc two - where they come back on stage for a three track lengthy heavier 54 minute encore with Transatlantic tracks "We all need some light", "The light" and "Stranger in your soul". 


5 stars for great value, 5 stars as a musical statement and for excitement. The lack of 5.1 or DTS sound unfortunately prevents a 5 out of 5. It is still in my top 5 favourite concert DVDs.